MiniMines To Expand Battery Recycling In 3 New States: CEO

MiniMines To Expand Battery Recycling In 3 New States: CEO

How has MiniMines been on its journey towards Lithium-ion battery recycling?

Our journey started just before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a chemical engineer, I began my career at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, working on the recovery of uranium, cobalt, and nickel from deactivated waste liquor — which directly aligns with what we do today. Later, I joined a startup, where I met my co-founder Arvind, who headed the energy storage division. At the time, he was dealing with significant amounts of lithium cell manufacturing scrap. Ironically, I was responsible for handing over this waste — which had valuable elements — for incineration. That’s when I approached Arvind and said, “We know what goes into a battery and how to recover it. Why not do something about it?” That’s how MiniMines was born.

How MiniMines source the raw materials, especially lithium-rich components?

India’s Battery Waste Management Rules and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy have played a pivotal role in supporting our mission. We are the first and only registered R4 recycler in South India. This gives us access to battery waste from two-wheeler OEMs like Ola, bus manufacturers like KVM, consumer electronics, and more. Our proximity to battery pack and cell manufacturers also helps in sourcing consistently.

Many recyclers claim to have unique and patented technologies. What sets MiniMines apart?

Most recyclers either collect, shred, or extract black mass — and stop there. For us, the black mass is just an intermediate. We’ve developed a patented Hybrid Hydro-Metallurgy Process — a three-phase system involving extraction, selective separation, and beneficiation. This allows us to recover elemental forms like lithium carbonate, cobalt sulfate, nickel sulfate, and manganese carbonate with 99.9% purity.

Has this process been independently verified?

The process has been validated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Oil India Limited. UNIDO has even awarded us for having one of the lowest carbon-emission recycling technologies and given us our first commercial order. Oil India helped us set up a commercial plant on one acre, capable of processing 3,000 metric tons annually — currently being scaled to 8,000 tons.

Does your company trade black mass too, or only refined materials?

We process 50–60% of the black mass in-house. The surplus is supplied to domestic players who lack processing capacity. This is because our pre-processing unit has higher capacity than our downstream refining unit — hence, the need for scaling up.

What are the key extracted materials and their end-use industries?

Our key outputs are lithium carbonate (used by high-temperature grease manufacturers), cobalt sulfate and nickel sulfate (used in metallurgy, paints, inks, and dyes), and graphite (used by anode manufacturers).

How do you assess the current state of lithium-ion recycling in India?

It’s still in a nascent stage. There are only a handful of players doing downstream refining. One major challenge is the rapid evolution of battery chemistries. If a company is not tech-evolving at its core, it becomes difficult to sustain or scale. Plus, downstream recycling requires serious investment — often ₹100 crore or more — which not everyone can risk without the right expertise.

Are you collaborating with other players for sourcing or technology?

Yes, Battery Smart is one of our partners. We manage their battery waste and offer the best salvage value. We’re also working with Redon and are strategically located within a 30-kilometer radius of major gigafactories like Exide, IBC, and Amarraja. This helps streamline waste collection and contributes to the circular economy.

Do you charge battery makers for recycling or pay them?

We pay them a salvage value. This ensures reverse logistics remains strong. If recyclers don’t offer value, no one will return used batteries. We’re also trying to route our refined materials back to their raw material suppliers, so manufacturers benefit via discounts.

You mentioned a strategic location near major producers. Are you planning to expand geographically?

Yes. Battery transport is risky and expensive. We’re setting up pre-processing units in two more regions — Jharkhand-West Bengal border (East) and Rajasthan (West) — to decentralize the operation. This way, we ship only the black mass, not bulky batteries, making logistics safer and cost-effective.